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WORLD NEWSMonday 21 September 2015
Pope in Cuba begs Colombia, rebels to end conflict
Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. to let ongoing peace talks tinue on the road of peace
Pope Francis begged the Colombian government and rebels on Sunday to end South America’s fail. and reconciliation.”
longest-running conflict, saying they simply had no right to let ongoing peace talks fail. Fresh off his personal ap- The FARC leader known by
peal to the U.S. and Cuban his alias Ivan Marquez quot-
(Tony Gentile/POOL via AP) leaders to end their half- ed the pope in a tweet of
century of estrangement, his own: “As the pope said:
NICOLE WINFIELD Francis issued his plea to We don’t have the right
Associated Press Colombia’s warring fac- to allow another failure in
HAVANA (AP) — Pope tions from Havana’s Revo- this path of peace and
Francis begged the Co- lution Plaza at the end of reconciliation. We need a
lombian government and his Sunday Mass. Cuba peaceful society.”
rebels on Sunday to end has hosted peace talks for In his remarks, Francis add-
South America’s longest- more than two years be- ed on a word of gratitude
running conflict, saying tween the Revolutionary to President Raul Castro for
they simply had no right Armed Forces of Colombia his efforts to assist the ne-
and representatives of Bo- gotiations; the appeal was
gota. followed by a round of ap-
Francis said the talks face a plause from the crowd.
“crucial” moment. In more than two years of
“May the blood shed by negotiations, rebel and
thousands of innocent peo- government negotiators
ple during long decades have reached tentative
of armed conflict” sustain agreements on land re-
efforts to find a definitive form, how to jointly combat
peace, he said. “Please, drug trafficking and the fu-
we do not have the right ture role in politics for guer-
to allow ourselves yet an- rillas that lay down their
other failure on this path of weapons. The rebel move-
peace and reconciliation.” ment, known as the FARC,
Colombian President Juan in recent months also has
Manuel Santos, who has largely adhered to a uni-
pushed the talks, issued a lateral cease-fire, prompt-
tweet in response to thank ing the government to sus-
the pope “for your perma- pend the aerial bombing
nent prayers. We will con- of guerrilla camps.q
Brazil:
Police arrest alleged major drug trafficker
SAO PAULO (AP) — .Brazil- Police inspector Alberto lombia.
ian police have arrested a Matheus told reporters “He never laid hands on
man they say is one of the Nunes was the head of an the drugs. He was in charge
country’s biggest interna- international organization of administrating the drug
tional drug traffickers. that distributed cocaine shipments in containers,”
The Sao Paulo Public Safety to 27 countries, including Matheus said.
Department said in a state- the United States, Spain, Police said Nunes financed
ment posted on its website Belgium, France and South the construction of a sub-
that police caught Brazil- Africa. marine to be used in drug
ian Mario Sergio Machado Police said Nunes used to trafficking operations.
Nunes this weekend in a negotiate with the late Phone calls to the Public
luxury apartment in the drug kingpin Pablo Esco- Safety and police depart-
seaside resort city of Gua- bar of Colombia’s Medel- ments for more details went
ruja. Interpol had also is- lin cartel in the 1980s. They unanswered on Saturday.
sued an arrest warrant for say he also worked closely The G1 news portal said
Nunes. with Henry de Jesus Lopez the submarine was going
The statement said that for Londono, who was arrest- to be built in South Africa
several years Nunes evad- ed last year in Buenos Aires. with Colombian engineers.
ed arrest thanks to plastic They say Londono headed The submarine was never
surgery on his face. the Urabenos gang in Co- built.q
